


No.13 Hiding Injury

by LiGi



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [13]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Caring Lancelot (Merlin), FebuWhump2021, Gen, Hiding an injury, Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hurt Elyan (Merlin), Hurt Gwaine (Merlin), Ignoring an Injury, no13, physician Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29397828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiGi/pseuds/LiGi
Summary: Febuwhump 2021 day 13 - Hiding InjuryElyan and Arthur are both hurt while fighting bandits. Elyan hides his wound because it's more important that the king is looked after.
Relationships: Elyan & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Elyan & Lancelot (Merlin), Elyan & Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine & Lancelot (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Leon & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137632
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	No.13 Hiding Injury

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by Onehelluvapilot - Go and read her febuwhump fics too - today's one is a great Lancelot whump.

Elyan gasped as the bandit’s blade plunged into his side. He staggered backwards, just managing to get his own sword up and slash across the man’s chest. As the bandit fell backwards, his sword tugged and pulled painfully out of Elyan’s side, making him fall to his knees, his hand clamping to his side.

He glanced around the clearing, there were only a few bandits left now; the others had nearly finished them off. He let himself sag down, sure in the knowledge the others could handle the last few attackers.

Until there was a scream, followed by Leon shouting. Elyan scrambled to his feet, hefting his sword and stumbled towards the king. Arthur was on the ground, unconscious, a horrible amount of blood across his neck. Leon was standing over him, fiercely fighting the bandit who’d wounded Arthur, who appeared to have more fighting skill than his fellows and was fending the knight off. Merlin appeared out of the tree line and dashed towards the king, sliding to his knees.

Percival and Gwaine were the other sides of the clearing, fighting their own opponents, but Lancelot was running to help Leon. Lancelot swung his sword up, yelling a battle cry as he leapt at the bandit. The man turned, meeting Lancelot’s sword and Leon managed to strike him across his back, followed by a violent thrust that finished the man off.

Leon knelt at Arthur’s side as soon as the threat was gone and Lancelot hurried around the clearing, checking no more bandits were about to surprise them from the trees. Elyan made it to Arthur’s side, watching anxiously as Merlin’s hands hovered over Arthur’s neck.

“Help me get his gorget off,” Merlin asked, already unbuckling the armour. Leon’s hands immediately flew to help and soon Arthur’s gorget and chainmail coif were off and Elyan saw the deep cut on the top of his shoulder. It had gone in just past the edge of his gorget and bitten right down to his collarbone. Half an inch to the side and the armour would have saved him. Fortunately, it did appear to have missed the vein in his neck though.

Merlin pressed a wad of bandages to the wound, directing Leon to hold it as he pulled his small physician’s bag off his shoulder and began rooting through it.

“I’ll need to stitch it,” he said abruptly, his eyebrows pulled low in a frown. He pulled a cloth from his bag, spreading it on the ground and placing a spool of silk thread, a small leather wallet, and a jar of honey on it.

“No more in sight,” Lancelot reported to Leon as he and Percival joined the group, Lancelot sheathing his sword. Leon nodded, running a weary hand through his hair.

“Is he alright?” Gwaine puffed, running up to them, his own opponent defeated and a small cut across his cheek.

“He will be,” Merlin said, taking a needle from the wallet and threading it. “Is everyone else alright?” He gave a cursory glance around at the knights, but his attention was still focussed on Arthur.

Elyan pressed his hand a little tighter against his side. He wasn’t going to say anything. He couldn’t let Merlin’s focus waver from the king. Tending to Arthur’s injuries was by far more important that his own.

“Leon, pour a little water here,” Merlin instructed. “Percival, can you come and hold him in case he wakes.”

Percival knelt the opposite side of Arthur to Merlin and Leon, his large hands moving to Arthur’s chest, holding him steady. Leon grabbed his waterskin, unstoppering it and pouring where Merlin pointed.

Elyan had to sit down, his legs were getting a little shaky. He crossed his arms over his stomach, casually keeping the pressure on the wound in his side without being too obvious about it. He schooled his face to try not to show any pain when Lancelot looked at him. Lancelot gave him a grim smile, his eyes narrowing slightly as they swept over Elyan but he didn’t say anything. He hadn’t noticed.

Then Lancelot spotted the cut on Gwaine’s cheek. He pulled the short knight to the ground and sat beside him, using a small scrap of bandage from Merlin’s bag to clean the cut.

Elyan relaxed a little now that Lancelot’s attention was diverted. Gwaine was trying to push him off, claiming he was fine, but Lancelot dug one hand into Gwaine’s shoulder to hold him still.

Pain throbbed in his side, but Elyan fought to keep his face straight, biting the inside of his cheek so the groan didn’t slip out. He watched Merlin to take his mind off the pain. And to remind himself why it was so important Merlin not be distracted. The servant was ever so carefully sewing up the wound in Arthur’s shoulder.

When Merlin was only halfway through sewing, Arthur began to groan and flinch, waking up slowly and groggily.

“Damn it, not yet,” Merlin muttered. “Keep him still, Percival.” He looked over his shoulder, seeing Lancelot still busy with Gwaine and instead nodded at Elyan. “Elyan, hold his legs.”

“Of course.” Elyan gulped back a wave of pain and crawled over to Arthur, leaning his weight down onto the king’s legs just as he started to move.

Arthur came to with a strangled cry, his arms trying to move against Percival’s restraints. Leon grabbed the arm on his injured side as well, bracing it against his knees.

“What –” Arthur managed before gritting his teeth and letting out a groaned yell.

“Stay still,” Merlin ordered him, working quickly to keep stitching.

Arthur ignored Merlin’s order and struggled against Percival and Elyan’s hands. White hot agony shot through Elyan’s side as Arthur unknowingly kicked his knee into the wound. He grunted and black dots danced before his eyes, but he kept his grip, forcing Arthur’s leg back down flat to the ground.

“It’s alright, Arthur, let Merlin stitch it,” Leon spoke steadily, just a hint of pleading panic behind his voice. “You’ll be alright, just stay still.”

_Please just stay still_ , Elyan thought, grinding his teeth.

His stomach was roiling now, as the pain blazed its way across his torso, tightening his chest until he could only gasp for breath. He just had to hold on. He forced the pain to the back of his mind, fixing his eyes Merlin’s needle for something to focus on. It dipped in and out of Arthur’s skin, reminding him of sitting beside Gwen as she sewed clothes for him and their father all those years ago.

He thought about his sister, she would be terrified when they got back to Camelot. Seeing her husband so badly injured. She wouldn’t need her worry added to by seeing her brother wounded too. Perhaps he could hide it from her as well. If he could just hold out until they got back to Camelot, he could go and see Merlin on his own and swear him to secrecy. Gaius would be busy with the king, but he was sure Merlin would be able to help him.

“Ow!”

Elyan jumped as Gwaine shouted behind him. He instinctively whipped around to look. The movement pulled at his side, flaring up the pain and bringing it to the forefront of his mind again.

“Sorry,” Lancelot muttered, his hand coming up to the side of Gwaine’s head, burying into his hair to hold it out of the way and keep Gwaine still at the same time.

“Is he alright, Lancelot?” Leon called, not lifting his gaze from Arthur.

“I’m fine!” Gwaine protested at the same time as Lancelot said, “It’s deep, but clean. It should heal well.”

“I’ll have a look when I’m finished, Gwaine,” Merlin said distractedly.

“No, focus on Arthur. I’m _fine_ ,” Gwaine whined.

Elyan’s resolve grew even stronger. Merlin didn’t need two distractions. At least his wound was still hidden. As long as no one noticed the loose links of chainmail that had been ripped apart by the bandit’s sword, he could keep it secret.

“There.” Merlin tied the end of his thread and cut it, dropping the needle back down to the cloth at his side. “Leon, water.” Leon dutifully cleaned the wound again, Arthur groaning as he did so, writhing slightly, his heels grinding down into the soil beneath him.

Elyan’s side was bumped again with Arthur’s movement, and he fought to stop himself screaming. His side felt wet, and every brush of his shirt against the wound stung. His eyes were prickling, threatening to start watering.

“Ok, you can let him go,” Merlin told Percival and Elyan, laying his hand on Arthur’s chest once Percival moved his own.

Elyan sagged back away from Arthur and staggered to his feet, stumbling back to lean on a tree. Luckily everyone else’s attention was still on Arthur and nobody noticed the way he winced as he moved.

“Arthur?” The king peeled his eyes open to look at Merlin. “Try not to move yet. I just need to look at Gwaine, and then we’re going back to Camelot.”

“I –” Arthur gritted his teeth as he tried to shift a little more upright. “I give the orders around here, Merlin,” he rasped.

Merlin chuckled, patting his chest again. “Of course you do, Sire.” He looked up to find Gwaine.

Lancelot was already pulling him over to Merlin, one hand still cradling his cut cheek with a scrap of bloody bandage. Gwaine reached a hand down to Arthur, who lifted his uninjured arm and grasped forearms with Gwaine.

“You alright?” Arthur asked.

“It’s nothing, Lancelot is just panicking that my gorgeous face might be spoilt,” he joked, sending a smirk to Lancelot who rolled his eyes. “Are you alright?”

“I’ve been better,” Arthur said with a huffed out breath of laughter.

Gwaine grinned, his eyes roaming across Arthur’s body, widening when he saw his legs.

“Shit, your leg.” He pointed at Arthur’s breeches that were soaked through with blood over his shin.

Elyan’s stomach flipped. The blood was exactly where he’d had been lying on Arthur to hold him. He glanced down at his side; the chainmail over the wound was covered with blood too. It was his blood on Arthur’s breeches.

His head felt woozy, as if seeing the amount of blood had reminded his body that he was injured. He swayed, trying to catch his balance on the tree, taking deep steadying breaths to get himself under control as pain washed over him in waves.

Merlin was already yanking Arthur’s boot off and rolling his breeches up to his knee to look at his leg. He sat back on his heels and frowned when he found no wounds. He carefully lifted Arthur’s leg, turning it and bending his knee.

“Nothing… it’s not your blood…” Merlin said, bemused.

“Elyan!” Lancelot shouted. It sounded like he was a very long way away.

Suddenly strong arms wrapped around Elyan’s chest, gently lowering him to the ground as he collapsed. Lancelot’s face swam into focus over him, scowling worriedly.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Lancelot demanded, yanking at Elyan’s belt. Merlin came into focus beside Lancelot, helping him lift the chainmail up Elyan’s chest to see the wound.

“Arthur’s more important than me,” Elyan said simply.

“Don’t let him hear you say that, Elyan,” Merlin said seriously. “He’ll be furious.”

“The Round Table makes us all equal,” Lancelot added. “Arthur would hate to think you were suffering just because he’s king and you’re only a knight.”

Merlin called Percival over to help Lancelot hold him as he started threading a new needle. Elyan let himself slip into blissful unconsciousness safe in the knowledge he was surrounded by friends.

**Author's Note:**

> I love any and all comments!


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